1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the present invention relates to a temperature sensor mounting unit for mounting, for example, a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature in a battery of an electric vehicle or a temperature of a coolant for an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, because of environmental issues, much attention is drawn to electric vehicles which employ electric motors as drive sources and hybrid vehicles which employ an internal combustion engine and electric motors as drive sources. In these types of vehicles, a battery is required to supply electric power to the electric motors.
When the internal temperature of the battery increases, there may be a case where the output of the electric motors is affected. Because of this, a temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the battery may be mounted on an exterior casing of the battery. A temperature sensor may be used to measure the temperature of a coolant for an internal combustion engine or to measure the temperature of outside air.
JP-2006-250763-A discloses a temperature sensor which includes a pressure-welded terminal having a pressure-welded portion connected to a sheath-removed internal conductor of a wiring harness and a connecting portion formed integrally with the pressure-welded portion, a temperature detecting element whose lead wire is connected to the connecting portion, a housing in which an element accommodating portion for accommodating the temperature detecting element and a terminal holding portion for holding the pressure-welded terminal are formed, and a hot-melt resin which is charged in the element accommodating portion and inside the circumferential wall in such a state that the temperature detecting element is accommodated in the element accommodating portion and the pressure-welded terminal is held by the terminal holding portion of the housing.
An anchor-type clip is formed outside the housing, and by the clip being inserted into a mounting hole provided in a mounting-target member where the temperature sensor is to be mounted, the clip is brought into engagement with the mounting hole, whereby the temperature sensor is mounted on the mounting-target member.
In JP-2006-250763-A, the temperature detecting element is fixed by charging the hot-melt resin in the element accommodating portion of the housing after the temperature detecting element has been accommodated therein. Although the temperature detecting element is fixed relatively firmly within the housing by the use of the hot-melt resin, since the step of charging the hot-melt resin is necessary, the mounting work becomes complex and troublesome and takes much time. As a result, the mounting work of the temperature sensor has been regarded as being inefficient.